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Operation Bonnet, a Novel
Novel
Hardcover
First published February 1, 2011
33 people are currently reading
556 people want to read
About the author
Kimberly Stuart
12 books219 followersKimberly Stuart wants you to know that authors write their own bios and are hardly reliable sources. Nevertheless, there are a few facts that stand out:
1. Stuart loves a good story, both written and lived.
2. Stuart loves imported chocolate and her children, though the order of her affections sometimes gets muddled.
3. Stuart writes both non-fiction and fiction, always with an infusion of faith. However, she seems to make Christians nervous. Read at your own risk, then, and e-mail her publisher if you must.
1. Stuart loves a good story, both written and lived.
2. Stuart loves imported chocolate and her children, though the order of her affections sometimes gets muddled.
3. Stuart writes both non-fiction and fiction, always with an infusion of faith. However, she seems to make Christians nervous. Read at your own risk, then, and e-mail her publisher if you must.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews
January 27, 2016
I didn't like this book because it got crude. I do not recommend very young readers or boys to read this review
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 14, 2020
This was a fun and light read. I didn't realize until quite a ways in that it is Christian fiction. (And really, I'm still not sure it's classified that way, but there is a good amount of talk about God. And some of the characters are Amish, but I wouldn't call it an Amish romance). The MC, Nellie, is a little bit clueless. I didn't get why she
If this became a series focusing on Nellie's efforts to become a PI and the cases she works, I would probably read them. As long as they stayed on this level of romance and religion (not too much of either).
If this became a series focusing on Nellie's efforts to become a PI and the cases she works, I would probably read them. As long as they stayed on this level of romance and religion (not too much of either).
July 8, 2015
The sight of this cover stopped me in my tracks as I tried to make sense of what this book might be about. Was this an Amish book? Not like any I’ve ever seen. I was thankful for the review copy of this book so I could find out what Kimberly Stuart was up to inside this new novel.
Operation Bonnet is the most hilarious P.I. detective story I’ve read in quite a while. The fact that Nellie Monroe’s first case involves her going undercover to gather information from inside an Amish community is a hoot and very clever, tongue and cheek writing on Kim’s part.
Nellie says, “I’ll go every week to the pastry shop and help bake. I’m not a cook and don’t care to be, but if I have to roll out pastry dough for three hours to get a woman to talk about what it’s like to be Amish and female in the twenty first century, doggone it, I will.”
Nellie is a twenty something gal who definitely walks to the beat of her own drum, works hard, is serious about being the best PI possible, is loyal and caring to her friends and family. She ponders why her grandmother loves God so much. She asks her why she paints, “…first to honor God who paints the sunsets and oceans and human hearts. And second so I don’t get cranky like so many of the old people in this world.”
Matt, Nellie’s friend since elementary school supports her in her career choice but has been acting kind of weird lately. Nellie has noticed his muscles, how Matt looks all manly all of a sudden and how her stomach has started to flip when he looks at her a certain way. What was going on there? She didn’t have time to figure out that right now she was in the middle of her first case. Her client was a shunned Amish boy named Amos and he needed her help.
Kimberly Stuart is not a new comer to Christian fiction but Operation Bonnet is the fist book I’ve read by this author. I love Kimberly’s humor and how real and honest Nellie is. I enjoyed Nellie’s friend Matt and how Amos seeks her for insider information from a certain Amish Community. Kimberly has a gift of making the reader laugh out-loud yet at the same time pens a spiritual thread that is sincere and natural. Kimberly reminded me of another author that makes me laugh out loud Jenny B. Jones. I’ll definitely be looking for Kimberly Stuart’s other books. I can’t wait for her next book to hit the shelf; you’ll anxiously be waiting for it too.
Disclosure of Material Connection:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”
Nora St.Laurent
The Book Club Network www.bookfun.org
The Book Club Network blog www.psalm516.blogspot.com
Book Fun Magazine www.bookfunmagazine.com
Operation Bonnet is the most hilarious P.I. detective story I’ve read in quite a while. The fact that Nellie Monroe’s first case involves her going undercover to gather information from inside an Amish community is a hoot and very clever, tongue and cheek writing on Kim’s part.
Nellie says, “I’ll go every week to the pastry shop and help bake. I’m not a cook and don’t care to be, but if I have to roll out pastry dough for three hours to get a woman to talk about what it’s like to be Amish and female in the twenty first century, doggone it, I will.”
Nellie is a twenty something gal who definitely walks to the beat of her own drum, works hard, is serious about being the best PI possible, is loyal and caring to her friends and family. She ponders why her grandmother loves God so much. She asks her why she paints, “…first to honor God who paints the sunsets and oceans and human hearts. And second so I don’t get cranky like so many of the old people in this world.”
Matt, Nellie’s friend since elementary school supports her in her career choice but has been acting kind of weird lately. Nellie has noticed his muscles, how Matt looks all manly all of a sudden and how her stomach has started to flip when he looks at her a certain way. What was going on there? She didn’t have time to figure out that right now she was in the middle of her first case. Her client was a shunned Amish boy named Amos and he needed her help.
Kimberly Stuart is not a new comer to Christian fiction but Operation Bonnet is the fist book I’ve read by this author. I love Kimberly’s humor and how real and honest Nellie is. I enjoyed Nellie’s friend Matt and how Amos seeks her for insider information from a certain Amish Community. Kimberly has a gift of making the reader laugh out-loud yet at the same time pens a spiritual thread that is sincere and natural. Kimberly reminded me of another author that makes me laugh out loud Jenny B. Jones. I’ll definitely be looking for Kimberly Stuart’s other books. I can’t wait for her next book to hit the shelf; you’ll anxiously be waiting for it too.
Disclosure of Material Connection:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”
Nora St.Laurent
The Book Club Network www.bookfun.org
The Book Club Network blog www.psalm516.blogspot.com
Book Fun Magazine www.bookfunmagazine.com
May 17, 2020
It took a while to warm to Nellie's less than orthodox tactics and her quirky outlook on life, but it grew on me, and I was chuckling frequently. I loved the larger than life characters, especially Tank, Nonna, and Amos. This book has heart, I liked the arc of this story. The author did a fantastic job of showing what it's like to face the realities of an aging loved one.
July 17, 2021
Nellie Monroe’s character was written in a clever and witty manner which I found mostly delightful. I enjoyed her relationship with her grandmother, who was fading into dementia. The interactions with the Amish community were interesting. I had a hard time understanding the disconnect between Nellie and her parents - I don’t think enough groundwork had been laid there. The resolution of the relationship between Amos (the ex-Amish fellow who hired Nellie) and the Amish girl he was sweet on was unexpected but realistic - well done. The relationship that Nellie had with her best friend, a young man she’d known all through childhood, was sweet, but eventually Nellie’s inability to see what everybody else could see about his attachment to her went beyond the bounds of believability. It’s probably tricky as an author to let the reader know things that the main character does not, but you run the danger of making your character so dense that the reader loses sympathy.
October 28, 2011
Most of you who know me, know I am a die hard Amish fiction reader. I don't think I have ever rated a book under 4 stars that was Amish fiction, but this book says right on the back that it was not your grandmother's Amish fiction. That statement should have told me right away that this book was going to be different. I read this for the Amish Fiction groups October read.
Operation Bonnet is about a woman, or should I say girl, who is very immature and has a lot of quirks including her hair which is a huge part of the front cover. Nellie wants to be a private detective and finds her first customer. She has to help an ex-Amish find out if the love of his life is planning to get married. Nellie has to do a lot of scheming and lying to get to the bottom of the case. Nellie also has a unique relationship with Nona, who lives with her. They share a very special bond. Nellie does not want to let her go even though Nona seems to be having symptoms of Alzheimer's disease and her family wants to put her in a nursing facility.
I had such a hard time with this story because it really did not get good until I was a least half way through the book. I would usually give up on a book like that, but so many other reader's kept saying it gets better. If you give the book a chance, you will eventually get into it. It took me longer than usual to read this book because the book lack the ability to grab my attention until I almost gave up on it. If I had to rate the last half of the book only, I'd probably give it higher stars. I thought the book was okay, but I ended up liking it more by the end. I think that the Nellie character is so different that she would make a great series. I think her life is actually pretty interesting, at least the things she goes through. So, yes I think a series with this girl and her family would be great and now that she has some friend's in the Amish world we would be able to get some Amish in there too.
Operation Bonnet is about a woman, or should I say girl, who is very immature and has a lot of quirks including her hair which is a huge part of the front cover. Nellie wants to be a private detective and finds her first customer. She has to help an ex-Amish find out if the love of his life is planning to get married. Nellie has to do a lot of scheming and lying to get to the bottom of the case. Nellie also has a unique relationship with Nona, who lives with her. They share a very special bond. Nellie does not want to let her go even though Nona seems to be having symptoms of Alzheimer's disease and her family wants to put her in a nursing facility.
I had such a hard time with this story because it really did not get good until I was a least half way through the book. I would usually give up on a book like that, but so many other reader's kept saying it gets better. If you give the book a chance, you will eventually get into it. It took me longer than usual to read this book because the book lack the ability to grab my attention until I almost gave up on it. If I had to rate the last half of the book only, I'd probably give it higher stars. I thought the book was okay, but I ended up liking it more by the end. I think that the Nellie character is so different that she would make a great series. I think her life is actually pretty interesting, at least the things she goes through. So, yes I think a series with this girl and her family would be great and now that she has some friend's in the Amish world we would be able to get some Amish in there too.
April 3, 2011
Twenty-year-old Nellie Augusta Lourdes Monroe is a fiery red-haired force to be reckoned with and an absolute hilarious young woman. Nellie works at a golf course but yearns to be a Private Investigator. Her best friend in the world is her Nona who is suffering from some type of dementia and knows who Nellie is one day, but not the next. Her next best friend is, Matt, who has loved Nellie since they were young children but she doesn’t even see that.
Amos, a recent escapee from the nearby Amish order has learned Nellie is a P.I. and asks her for her help. He left behind his beloved Katie and has recently learned she is about to marry someone else and needs Nellie to find out if she truly loves this man or is her heart still with him?
Nellie lies to her college Professor to get into the Amish Schroder family. She dons the traditional Amish garb, infiltrates the family and gains their trust in order to find and learn about Katie. However, all that is going to blow up in her face with heart-wrenching consequences.
Will Nellie find Katie and once caught red-handed, can she explain and apologize her way out of trouble with the Schroder family and her Professor?
Ms. Stuart has created completely believable characters and I absolutely adored Nellie! The story grabbed me from the first page and kept me reading until the end. I read the entire book in a few hours I just couldn’t put it down. I’m looking forward to reading more of Ms. Stuart’s work.
Amos, a recent escapee from the nearby Amish order has learned Nellie is a P.I. and asks her for her help. He left behind his beloved Katie and has recently learned she is about to marry someone else and needs Nellie to find out if she truly loves this man or is her heart still with him?
Nellie lies to her college Professor to get into the Amish Schroder family. She dons the traditional Amish garb, infiltrates the family and gains their trust in order to find and learn about Katie. However, all that is going to blow up in her face with heart-wrenching consequences.
Will Nellie find Katie and once caught red-handed, can she explain and apologize her way out of trouble with the Schroder family and her Professor?
Ms. Stuart has created completely believable characters and I absolutely adored Nellie! The story grabbed me from the first page and kept me reading until the end. I read the entire book in a few hours I just couldn’t put it down. I’m looking forward to reading more of Ms. Stuart’s work.
March 9, 2018
I heard this author speak in person and thought she was really funny. So I decided to try one of her books. It's not typically my go-to genre, so I guess I don't have a lot to compare it to, but it was a nice change of pace for me and did not disappoint. I enjoyed the read- her humor was evident throughout! The relationship between Nellie and Matt reminded me a lot of the banter of the characters on the show Alone Together. It was quirky and funny. I plan to try some of her other books.
The book wasn't meant to be a complex mystery, detective, or suspense novel, so don't read it with those expectations. It was a light-hearted rom/com, pretty fast read, and worth checking out.
My two criticisms are 1) her chapters had titles. Not my preference, I don't like to have any info about what I'm about to read, I like to see it for myself. 2) Her portrayal of the Amish character Amos was different than what I expected. It was a little weird, his dialogue was not like any other Amish book I've read and I don't know if it was because she was showing someone who was just learning English, or what, but I guess I just didn't know how accurate it was. I think I would have liked his character better if it wasn't such a vast social gap between him and the other characters. I think I just found it a little unbelievable. But again, just my preference.
The book wasn't meant to be a complex mystery, detective, or suspense novel, so don't read it with those expectations. It was a light-hearted rom/com, pretty fast read, and worth checking out.
My two criticisms are 1) her chapters had titles. Not my preference, I don't like to have any info about what I'm about to read, I like to see it for myself. 2) Her portrayal of the Amish character Amos was different than what I expected. It was a little weird, his dialogue was not like any other Amish book I've read and I don't know if it was because she was showing someone who was just learning English, or what, but I guess I just didn't know how accurate it was. I think I would have liked his character better if it wasn't such a vast social gap between him and the other characters. I think I just found it a little unbelievable. But again, just my preference.
May 22, 2020
Kimberly Stewart is an Iowa author. She has a dry sense of humor, but I enjoyed her quips about English versus Amish girls. On page 95 granny granny announces English girls do not learn to cook I’ve been told they eat nothing but sugar and alcohol and bacon. On the same page she announced we have a simple life not burdened with too much English like too much of too much. Too much money, too much houses, too much cars, too much fast running from place to place.
Later on page 123 she has a complement quotation marks you are lazy but you are not stupid decide like. The narrator Nelly Monroe showed that she had good cooking skills
As the author has the relationship build. On page 170 Katie whispers as she plates the five slices of pizza of pie. This I cannot believe we work in the hot the cold that freezes the rain never do we stop for a piece of pie. Nelly Monroe has worked a miracle
The story circles around two young Amish kids, their rum Springer and arranged marriages. Katie says my mother did not love my father either at the beginning sometimes love comes with years instead of minutes
Love the Iowa comments on chapter 19 I am the other hand preferred not to sweat. Was one thing if the sun was super hot and you were at the state fair. That was sweating with a purpose. Pork chop on a stick purpose but making myself sweat? Intentionally? No thanks
Later on page 123 she has a complement quotation marks you are lazy but you are not stupid decide like. The narrator Nelly Monroe showed that she had good cooking skills
As the author has the relationship build. On page 170 Katie whispers as she plates the five slices of pizza of pie. This I cannot believe we work in the hot the cold that freezes the rain never do we stop for a piece of pie. Nelly Monroe has worked a miracle
The story circles around two young Amish kids, their rum Springer and arranged marriages. Katie says my mother did not love my father either at the beginning sometimes love comes with years instead of minutes
Love the Iowa comments on chapter 19 I am the other hand preferred not to sweat. Was one thing if the sun was super hot and you were at the state fair. That was sweating with a purpose. Pork chop on a stick purpose but making myself sweat? Intentionally? No thanks
June 22, 2021
The story itself was decent - not as good as I had been hoping, but definitely okay. I really loved the author's quirky sense of humor. The characters were (mostly) interesting enough. What really bothered me though was the Amish dialogue. Amos was the worst. I understand that Amish are "plain" and aren't familiar with many of our worldly "English" things, but in this book they spoke like aliens. Not like "I'm unfamiliar with this culture" but more like "I'm unfamiliar with human beings/I was just hatched from my pod this morning".
August 18, 2018
Twenty-year-old Nellie Monroe has a perfect GPA, a job beneath her skills, and a strong desire to be a private detective. When a young Amish man who has left the group tells her of his love for an Amish woman, Nellie decides to go undercover to see if the girl loves the man she is to marry.
A cute book
A cute book
November 5, 2019
There really should have been more research into the Amish culture - so many inaccuracies, even for someone who hasn't done any research. The dialogue is stilted and doesn't read well.
July 29, 2020
Fun, lighthearted read.
May 24, 2022
this is a cute little story for younger women
June 1, 2022
This book really surprised me! I was expecting a light, fun book, and while it was definitely funny, it was also quite profound and brought up some deep issues.
December 29, 2023
I’m not a fan. The idea is there and there were sweet moments and real life concerns (grandmother who has dementia) + real friendships.. but the MC is a bit scattered and I didn’t connect with her.
December 29, 2024
What in the amish
December 22, 2025
A story of a 20 year old trying to be a private investigator for an ex-Amish boy in an Amish community.
October 18, 2011
This month for my book group
Fans of Amish Fiction on GoodReads
We read
Operation Bonnet by Kimberly Stuart
Operation Bonnet by Kimberly Stuart is quite unlike any other Amish fiction I have read.
We meet Nellie Monroe, a twenty year old girl getting by while working at a golf course and caring for her aging grandmother, Nona.
Nellie has dropped out of school and is passing her time working a mediocre job at a golf course. She dreams of the day she can become a P.I. and her active imagination has her catching cheating lovers.
She finally gets her first job as a P.I. when the new guy at her golf course job, Amos, asks her for help. He was raised Amish but has chosen to leave the church. However, Amos is still in love with Katie and wants Nellie to find out if she is going to marry another man. One that Amos completely despises.
So, Nellie has to find a way to go undercover and get in with the Amish. Something not easy to do since they are a closed group and Nellie is an Englisch outsider...
Will Nellie succeed in her first job as a P.I. and help Amos get the woman he loves? Or will she be found, destroying the trust of everyone she knows?
Read Operation Bonnet to find out!
This book has been a potential read for my book group for months, and it was finally chosen!
I am glad we finally got to read this book as I had been very curious what it was like. Even the cover is intriguing with the big red hair and the outline of a bonnet.
Nellie is a smart girl who is trying to find her way in life. Having dropped out of school she just isn't quite sure where to go to be able to become a P.I.
But at 20 I find it a little hard to believe Nellie could be quite so naive. Her character was a bit off-putting at times and even annoying. I definitely did not connect with her like I have with other characters. It definitely felt like I was reading about her adventures rather than accompanying her on them.
Amos was also really unique, quite unlike any other Amish character I have ever met in Amish fiction. He was a lot less well-spoken and his English grammar was not perfect like most other Amish characters. It made me wonder if he is an exaggeration, or if the other Amish characters from other books with perfect English grammar are the exaggerations... Since I don't personally know any Amish I couldn't say...
Nona was a great character though and I loved her relationship with Nellie. I am very close with my Nana so I can understand how deep those relationships are.
It was heartbreaking to see Nona going downhill, presumably with Alzheimer's. I know that disease wreaks havoc on families and completely empathized with Nellie.
I also really like Grandmother Mary, she has a fiery personality and I could just imagine her barking her orders and speaking her rapid-fire Pennsylvania Dutch. She definitely made me smile.
Overall at points I really didn't connect with the book but I am glad I read it. The characters just didn't quite resonate for me, but I have to give Kimberly Stuart credit for such a unique book unlike all other Amish fiction I have read!
3.5 out of 5 stars!
Fans of Amish Fiction on GoodReads
We read
Operation Bonnet by Kimberly Stuart
Operation Bonnet by Kimberly Stuart is quite unlike any other Amish fiction I have read.
We meet Nellie Monroe, a twenty year old girl getting by while working at a golf course and caring for her aging grandmother, Nona.
Nellie has dropped out of school and is passing her time working a mediocre job at a golf course. She dreams of the day she can become a P.I. and her active imagination has her catching cheating lovers.
She finally gets her first job as a P.I. when the new guy at her golf course job, Amos, asks her for help. He was raised Amish but has chosen to leave the church. However, Amos is still in love with Katie and wants Nellie to find out if she is going to marry another man. One that Amos completely despises.
So, Nellie has to find a way to go undercover and get in with the Amish. Something not easy to do since they are a closed group and Nellie is an Englisch outsider...
Will Nellie succeed in her first job as a P.I. and help Amos get the woman he loves? Or will she be found, destroying the trust of everyone she knows?
Read Operation Bonnet to find out!
This book has been a potential read for my book group for months, and it was finally chosen!
I am glad we finally got to read this book as I had been very curious what it was like. Even the cover is intriguing with the big red hair and the outline of a bonnet.
Nellie is a smart girl who is trying to find her way in life. Having dropped out of school she just isn't quite sure where to go to be able to become a P.I.
But at 20 I find it a little hard to believe Nellie could be quite so naive. Her character was a bit off-putting at times and even annoying. I definitely did not connect with her like I have with other characters. It definitely felt like I was reading about her adventures rather than accompanying her on them.
Amos was also really unique, quite unlike any other Amish character I have ever met in Amish fiction. He was a lot less well-spoken and his English grammar was not perfect like most other Amish characters. It made me wonder if he is an exaggeration, or if the other Amish characters from other books with perfect English grammar are the exaggerations... Since I don't personally know any Amish I couldn't say...
Nona was a great character though and I loved her relationship with Nellie. I am very close with my Nana so I can understand how deep those relationships are.
It was heartbreaking to see Nona going downhill, presumably with Alzheimer's. I know that disease wreaks havoc on families and completely empathized with Nellie.
I also really like Grandmother Mary, she has a fiery personality and I could just imagine her barking her orders and speaking her rapid-fire Pennsylvania Dutch. She definitely made me smile.
Overall at points I really didn't connect with the book but I am glad I read it. The characters just didn't quite resonate for me, but I have to give Kimberly Stuart credit for such a unique book unlike all other Amish fiction I have read!
3.5 out of 5 stars!
December 3, 2012
Nellie Augusta Lourdes Monroe doesn't have it easy. Yes, she's the privileged daughter of the wealthiest man in Casper, but as the (none-too-modestly self-acknowledged) town luminary and the bearer of a bright red afro, not to mention a few personality quirks, she doesn't fit in very well in a town not noted for its tolerance. Nellie's happy to be different, though, and longs only to fulfill her lifelong goal: that of becoming a private investigator. Not much of note happens in Casper, though, and Nellie dreams of living in a crime-ridden community like nearby Cleveland. For the time being, however, she's tied to Casper by her need to shelter her grandmother, Nona, who is daily showing worsening signs of dementia. Life and the lack of cases is made more bearable, though, by the companionship of her best friend and fellow odd-ball, Matt. Nellie is thrilled, of course, when she is finally presented with the chance to test out her investigative skills. Amos, a former Amish boy, begs her to "infiltrate" the Amish community and spy on his former love, Katie, and the man he believes she is planning to marry. Jumping at the chance to prove herself, Nellie resorts to a few dishonest tricks to worm her way into the community and seek her way into its heart. Through her investigation, she learns a lot more about love and life and her own self than she ever expected....
When I bought this book, I was actually expected something quite different than what I got. Thinking it was just another typical Amish romance, I expected goody-two-shoes characters with minor flaws and a pleasant, heart-warming read. What I got, however, was something incredibly more wonderful. With her laugh-out-loud internal dialogue and snappy comebacks, her hilarious world-view and take on life and her overall personality, Nellie charmed her quirky way quickly into my heart and had me hanging on to her every word and sitting on the edge of my seat, wondering what she was going to say next. Balanced by her Nona's reminders of God's love and mercy and grace, which do provide that "heart-warming" quality that I expected, Nellie's story is the perfect combination of humor and grace. I absolutely loved it and can easily give it five stars!
My favorite quotes:
"Sometimes you can't take the thirteen-year-old out of a girl, genius or not.
"Never try to run the world. Only a God of bottomless grace can pull off a feat like that."
When I bought this book, I was actually expected something quite different than what I got. Thinking it was just another typical Amish romance, I expected goody-two-shoes characters with minor flaws and a pleasant, heart-warming read. What I got, however, was something incredibly more wonderful. With her laugh-out-loud internal dialogue and snappy comebacks, her hilarious world-view and take on life and her overall personality, Nellie charmed her quirky way quickly into my heart and had me hanging on to her every word and sitting on the edge of my seat, wondering what she was going to say next. Balanced by her Nona's reminders of God's love and mercy and grace, which do provide that "heart-warming" quality that I expected, Nellie's story is the perfect combination of humor and grace. I absolutely loved it and can easily give it five stars!
My favorite quotes:
"Sometimes you can't take the thirteen-year-old out of a girl, genius or not.
"Never try to run the world. Only a God of bottomless grace can pull off a feat like that."
October 22, 2013
A few years ago I became tired of the deluge of Amish fiction, and now it takes something with an extremely unique perspective to get me to pick up an Amish-related book. Operation Bonnet certainly fits the bill of "unique", but I didn't realize just how off-the-wall it would be!
Nellie is eccentric, to say the least, and I have to admire the creativity of the mind that dreamed her up! She is just totally off-the-wall, with sarcastic and snarky comments aplenty. I appreciate good sarcasm, but some of hers was too close to crude (unkind, not dirty) for my taste.... still, at other times I was quite humored by her take on things. At 20 years old Nellie is still somewhat immature, causing her to make some less-than-great choices (especially in her detective work), but I do have to say that I really admired how well she handled the difficulties in her personal life of caring for her aging grandmother.
I really, really liked Amos and what he brought to the story. He is funny without even intending to be, with his misuses of pop-culture references and a somewhat stiff (but humorous) way of speaking. The contrast between him and Nellie is great, resulting in some very amusing conversations. But putting the humor aside, I also really appreciated the unique perspective Amos has on things that are commonplace to the English (non-Amish people, like you and me). After one of Nellie's flippant sarcastic remarks, Amos easily replies "Do not be ill-tempered." I was really struck by how common it is for people to be "ill-tempered", sometimes without even realizing it. It certainly made me think about how I might come across to others.
It wasn't until I was a third, or maybe even closer to half-way through, that I really started to get into the story and plot. Nellie's personality was just so loud (and jarring, dare I say?) that it took me a while to become accustomed to her....but once I did, I ended up enjoying the story. The diversity between Nellie and the Amish is huge, and for me it served as a great reminder to try looking at things in my life from a different perspective. Overall I did enjoy the book, and I would certainly recommend it if you're looking for something different from your normal genre.
Nellie is eccentric, to say the least, and I have to admire the creativity of the mind that dreamed her up! She is just totally off-the-wall, with sarcastic and snarky comments aplenty. I appreciate good sarcasm, but some of hers was too close to crude (unkind, not dirty) for my taste.... still, at other times I was quite humored by her take on things. At 20 years old Nellie is still somewhat immature, causing her to make some less-than-great choices (especially in her detective work), but I do have to say that I really admired how well she handled the difficulties in her personal life of caring for her aging grandmother.
I really, really liked Amos and what he brought to the story. He is funny without even intending to be, with his misuses of pop-culture references and a somewhat stiff (but humorous) way of speaking. The contrast between him and Nellie is great, resulting in some very amusing conversations. But putting the humor aside, I also really appreciated the unique perspective Amos has on things that are commonplace to the English (non-Amish people, like you and me). After one of Nellie's flippant sarcastic remarks, Amos easily replies "Do not be ill-tempered." I was really struck by how common it is for people to be "ill-tempered", sometimes without even realizing it. It certainly made me think about how I might come across to others.
It wasn't until I was a third, or maybe even closer to half-way through, that I really started to get into the story and plot. Nellie's personality was just so loud (and jarring, dare I say?) that it took me a while to become accustomed to her....but once I did, I ended up enjoying the story. The diversity between Nellie and the Amish is huge, and for me it served as a great reminder to try looking at things in my life from a different perspective. Overall I did enjoy the book, and I would certainly recommend it if you're looking for something different from your normal genre.
March 15, 2011
Title: OPERATION BONNET
Author: Kimberly Stuart
Publisher: David C. Cook
February 2011
ISBN: 878-0-7814-4891-8
Genre: Inspirational/women’s fiction
Nellie Monroe lives with her eighty-something year old grandmother, and despite the fact that her parents are rich, she works at a golf course, with a boss that can’t talk without yelling. She dreams of being a private investigator, but there is little to no action in her small Ohio town, and she’d have to relocate to Cleveland. Which would mean leaving her grandmother.
Nellie’s big break comes when her boss hires an ex-Amish man, Amos Shelter, to build a miniature golf course. Amos hires Nellie to check up on his girl back home to see if she’s seeing Amos’ nemesis. Nellie manages to “break into” the Amish culture by stealing her professor’s cooking classes and taking lessons herself, just so she can get a foot in.
But will Nellie be able to find out what is going on with Amos’ girl? Does she have what it takes to be a private investigator? Will she be able to master the perfect pie crust?
OPERATION BONNET is being marketed as “Not your grandmother’s Amish fiction.” This kind of confused me at first, taking it literal, my grandmother didn’t read Amish fiction… but as I read OPERATION BONNET, I understood the reasoning. If you are looking for a sweet romance or a cozy mystery involving the Plain folk, or even a woman’s fiction about a girl struggling to find herself in Amish country, then OPERATION BONNET is not for you. This book is about a totally modern woman, smart, savvy and snarky, who’s willing to break every one of the ten commandments to get what she wants.
OPERATION BONNET does start out a bit slow. I think that the author moved the prologue to the first chapter, as it seemed to start with backstory. But once it got past the fifth-grader with afro hair and started getting into the real story it got interesting and I laughed out loud several times. The ending of the story was an unexpected twist. I thoroughly enjoyed reading OPERATION BONNET and especially enjoyed the Afterwards section at the back of the book. $14.99. 266 pages.
Author: Kimberly Stuart
Publisher: David C. Cook
February 2011
ISBN: 878-0-7814-4891-8
Genre: Inspirational/women’s fiction
Nellie Monroe lives with her eighty-something year old grandmother, and despite the fact that her parents are rich, she works at a golf course, with a boss that can’t talk without yelling. She dreams of being a private investigator, but there is little to no action in her small Ohio town, and she’d have to relocate to Cleveland. Which would mean leaving her grandmother.
Nellie’s big break comes when her boss hires an ex-Amish man, Amos Shelter, to build a miniature golf course. Amos hires Nellie to check up on his girl back home to see if she’s seeing Amos’ nemesis. Nellie manages to “break into” the Amish culture by stealing her professor’s cooking classes and taking lessons herself, just so she can get a foot in.
But will Nellie be able to find out what is going on with Amos’ girl? Does she have what it takes to be a private investigator? Will she be able to master the perfect pie crust?
OPERATION BONNET is being marketed as “Not your grandmother’s Amish fiction.” This kind of confused me at first, taking it literal, my grandmother didn’t read Amish fiction… but as I read OPERATION BONNET, I understood the reasoning. If you are looking for a sweet romance or a cozy mystery involving the Plain folk, or even a woman’s fiction about a girl struggling to find herself in Amish country, then OPERATION BONNET is not for you. This book is about a totally modern woman, smart, savvy and snarky, who’s willing to break every one of the ten commandments to get what she wants.
OPERATION BONNET does start out a bit slow. I think that the author moved the prologue to the first chapter, as it seemed to start with backstory. But once it got past the fifth-grader with afro hair and started getting into the real story it got interesting and I laughed out loud several times. The ending of the story was an unexpected twist. I thoroughly enjoyed reading OPERATION BONNET and especially enjoyed the Afterwards section at the back of the book. $14.99. 266 pages.
July 22, 2011
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I picked this book up at the library, and it didn't have very many reviews on goodreads or amazon, but the Amish storyline made me think it was worth the risk.
Nellie Monroe is a bit of an odd duck--she is naive but bright and spunky and doesn't fit in very well in her small Ohio town. Her parents are inattentive and wealthy, and the two people most important to her are her step-grandmother Nona and her best friend, Matt. She also desperately wants to be a private investigator.
So when a former Amish man, Amos, asks her to find out whether his long-lost love, Katie, is going to marry another man, Nellie jumps at the chance to go undercover. She sneaks her way into an Amish family's good graces through a bit of falsehood, and finds a way to bring the star-crossed lovers together.
In the meantime, Nona's fading and Nellie doesn't want to admit it, and Matt views Nellie as more than a friend, but she's too dense to see it.
I liked Stuart's funny writing style, although some of the characters were caricatures or not fully developed (such as her school nemesis, Misty--what was the purpose of her?). We also do not really get to know Matt very well. Kimberly Stuart is actually a "Christian" author, as I discovered toward the end when she threw God in several times. Even though I'm a Christian, I steer clear from so-called "Christian" books, music, and the like. It wasn't too extreme, but it definitely kept the book from being a secular selection. At other times I felt like it was a little preachy, such as when Matt kept telling Nellie that "guys need a break." It felt like a way of suggesting that Nellie's strong, independent personality might be keeping guys away and that women should be more acquiesent to men.
But all in all, I enjoyed this book but probably will not read any more of this author's novels. If you are interested in the Amish or in different cultures, you might like it.
I picked this book up at the library, and it didn't have very many reviews on goodreads or amazon, but the Amish storyline made me think it was worth the risk.
Nellie Monroe is a bit of an odd duck--she is naive but bright and spunky and doesn't fit in very well in her small Ohio town. Her parents are inattentive and wealthy, and the two people most important to her are her step-grandmother Nona and her best friend, Matt. She also desperately wants to be a private investigator.
So when a former Amish man, Amos, asks her to find out whether his long-lost love, Katie, is going to marry another man, Nellie jumps at the chance to go undercover. She sneaks her way into an Amish family's good graces through a bit of falsehood, and finds a way to bring the star-crossed lovers together.
In the meantime, Nona's fading and Nellie doesn't want to admit it, and Matt views Nellie as more than a friend, but she's too dense to see it.
I liked Stuart's funny writing style, although some of the characters were caricatures or not fully developed (such as her school nemesis, Misty--what was the purpose of her?). We also do not really get to know Matt very well. Kimberly Stuart is actually a "Christian" author, as I discovered toward the end when she threw God in several times. Even though I'm a Christian, I steer clear from so-called "Christian" books, music, and the like. It wasn't too extreme, but it definitely kept the book from being a secular selection. At other times I felt like it was a little preachy, such as when Matt kept telling Nellie that "guys need a break." It felt like a way of suggesting that Nellie's strong, independent personality might be keeping guys away and that women should be more acquiesent to men.
But all in all, I enjoyed this book but probably will not read any more of this author's novels. If you are interested in the Amish or in different cultures, you might like it.
May 7, 2015
This is the first Kimberly Stuart book I have read, and I enjoyed it. I wasn’t sure if a book written about the Amish community would hold my interest, but it certainly did. It isn’t even all about the Amish, but gives some insight into that lifestyle, while also following the main character in her own life in the mainstream community.
Operation Bonnet is about a young woman, Nellie, who wants to be a private investigator, but living in a small community she can find no one needing a PI. That is, until she meets Amos, a young man who, of his own accord, left the nearby Amish community and the girl he loves. He is forbidden to visit so hires Nellie to spy for him. To do that Nellie has to somehow infiltrate the strict community, so she pulls some trickery in order to get herself into the home and kitchen of the feared and respected matriarch of that community. It’s a nerve-racking experience for Nellie, for although she is quite good at keeping up in the kitchen (she loves to cook) she has trouble keeping out of trouble.
Even though Nellie is trying to help another in the romantic front, her own heart is tried because of her best friend, the guy with whom she grew up. As smart as she is she just doesn’t see what is happening in her own relationships.
What added another interesting dimension to this story, for me, is the fact that Nellie is trying to take care of her aunt who has dementia and resists allowing her parents to place her aunt in a home.
I don’t want to tell you anymore about the story because it is worth your reading it yourself. Kimberly Stuart writes with humour and heart, creating believable characters and realistic dialogue that I think you will enjoy in Operation Bonnet.
Operation Bonnet is about a young woman, Nellie, who wants to be a private investigator, but living in a small community she can find no one needing a PI. That is, until she meets Amos, a young man who, of his own accord, left the nearby Amish community and the girl he loves. He is forbidden to visit so hires Nellie to spy for him. To do that Nellie has to somehow infiltrate the strict community, so she pulls some trickery in order to get herself into the home and kitchen of the feared and respected matriarch of that community. It’s a nerve-racking experience for Nellie, for although she is quite good at keeping up in the kitchen (she loves to cook) she has trouble keeping out of trouble.
Even though Nellie is trying to help another in the romantic front, her own heart is tried because of her best friend, the guy with whom she grew up. As smart as she is she just doesn’t see what is happening in her own relationships.
What added another interesting dimension to this story, for me, is the fact that Nellie is trying to take care of her aunt who has dementia and resists allowing her parents to place her aunt in a home.
I don’t want to tell you anymore about the story because it is worth your reading it yourself. Kimberly Stuart writes with humour and heart, creating believable characters and realistic dialogue that I think you will enjoy in Operation Bonnet.
January 1, 2013
Free now:
Operation Bonnet
: A Novel - From David C. Cook, a faith-based publisher
Always confirm price before purchase. Many free and reduced books are offered for a limited time only and only in some geographical regions.
Can't get enough Amish fiction? Or maybe you can. Either way, Operation Bonnet makes for a fun read.
Twenty-year-old Nellie Monroe is an aspiring private detective. Her boss at her summer job at a golf course hires Amos, who used to be Amish. He enlists Nellie to help him find out how his old flame is doing. She dons a bonnet and sets out in search of details. Naturally, things don't go as planned.
Not your traditional Amish romance, the book was filled with humor and beautiful writing. Nellie was a delightful character with plenty of personality. She's also dealing with her distant, wealthy parents; a grandmother in the early stages of dementia; and a guy friend who seems to have gotten handsome overnight. Because of her age and the sweet romance, this book could easily be classified as young adult literature, but it also makes for a light read for adults.
Always confirm price before purchase. Many free and reduced books are offered for a limited time only and only in some geographical regions.
Can't get enough Amish fiction? Or maybe you can. Either way, Operation Bonnet makes for a fun read.
Twenty-year-old Nellie Monroe is an aspiring private detective. Her boss at her summer job at a golf course hires Amos, who used to be Amish. He enlists Nellie to help him find out how his old flame is doing. She dons a bonnet and sets out in search of details. Naturally, things don't go as planned.
Not your traditional Amish romance, the book was filled with humor and beautiful writing. Nellie was a delightful character with plenty of personality. She's also dealing with her distant, wealthy parents; a grandmother in the early stages of dementia; and a guy friend who seems to have gotten handsome overnight. Because of her age and the sweet romance, this book could easily be classified as young adult literature, but it also makes for a light read for adults.
January 26, 2013
Operation Bonnet, what a story. This will probably be one of the harder reviews to write, as figuring out where to start is difficult. I'll admit it took me a "hot minute" to get into this story. [read: a few months] I clicked this book so many times, yet moved on so many times its not even funny. The first chapter kinda of overloads you with information about Miss Nellie Augusta Lourdes Monroe, and while it is interesting, its not very relavent to the remainder of the book. But that is my humble opinion of course.
Upon "meeting" Miss Monroe, I got the distinct impression she was much younger than the twenty years stated in the book. She's incredibly flighty and prone to be violent at a moments noticed. The more I read the more I felt like I could relate to ... some parts of her that is.(Apparently I have developed a reputation of being mean to boys in particular in my youth.. I am currently working to restore my image. Its hard work. Lemme tell you!) Though I found her constant sarcastic nature a bit grating, and her constant attempts at humor a bit tiring, I loved how strongly she loved despite her different ways of showing it. :)
When its all said and done I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars, once you get started it was hard to stop!
Upon "meeting" Miss Monroe, I got the distinct impression she was much younger than the twenty years stated in the book. She's incredibly flighty and prone to be violent at a moments noticed. The more I read the more I felt like I could relate to ... some parts of her that is.(Apparently I have developed a reputation of being mean to boys in particular in my youth.. I am currently working to restore my image. Its hard work. Lemme tell you!) Though I found her constant sarcastic nature a bit grating, and her constant attempts at humor a bit tiring, I loved how strongly she loved despite her different ways of showing it. :)
When its all said and done I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars, once you get started it was hard to stop!
February 23, 2011
My interest in Amish fiction has been increasing in recent months and when I saw that Kimberly Stuart wrote a novel with an Amish theme, I just had to see for myself the story she created. I have always liked Kimberly’s books, especially her characters and her humor. I was expecting the same level of enjoyment for Operation Bonnet that I had for her last book Stretch Marks, but I actually liked this one better. Nellie was instantly likeable. I loved her quick wit and sarcastic attitude. I also love a character who is intelligent and a bit of a nerd (I mean that as a compliment, since I too qualify as a nerd).
In addition to the obvious humor of the basic premise of this book, it is also a sweet and endearing romance, which was actually a bit of a surprise. Kimberly added a very nice tender touch to this story that really warmed my heart and made Operation Bonnet a relaxing and feel good book. Operation Bonnet was certainly a hit with me as I’m sure it will be a hit with anyone who reads it. I enjoyed the original (and respectful) take on the Amish and the charming and humorous romance. Operation Bonnet is a hit!
In addition to the obvious humor of the basic premise of this book, it is also a sweet and endearing romance, which was actually a bit of a surprise. Kimberly added a very nice tender touch to this story that really warmed my heart and made Operation Bonnet a relaxing and feel good book. Operation Bonnet was certainly a hit with me as I’m sure it will be a hit with anyone who reads it. I enjoyed the original (and respectful) take on the Amish and the charming and humorous romance. Operation Bonnet is a hit!
October 19, 2011
Nellie Monroe is not your typical young adult. She never fit in at school, she was very smart even at an early age and her personality it some what peculiar. She lives with her grandmother, Nona, who I suspect is showing early signs of Alzehiemer's. Nellie takes on her first private investigator job with Amos, an Amish man who left the community. He left his true love and wanted Nellie to see if the rumors of her getting married were true. Nellie starts taking cooking lessons from Granny Mary and finds Amos' love. Will Amos get his love back? Will Nellie be able to keep her cover without causing any problems?
This book was not your typical Amish fiction book. The Amish did not get into the story until about one-third of the way through the book. Nellie was a naive girl and somewhat immature for her age. She did have a wonderful and personal relationship with her grandmother. Amos was developed as an Amish man who has learned things about the English from TV. He is protrayed as a rather dumb person since he does not understand English colloquialisms. But I must admit, the book cover is eye grabbing! I think this was a good book over all.
This book was not your typical Amish fiction book. The Amish did not get into the story until about one-third of the way through the book. Nellie was a naive girl and somewhat immature for her age. She did have a wonderful and personal relationship with her grandmother. Amos was developed as an Amish man who has learned things about the English from TV. He is protrayed as a rather dumb person since he does not understand English colloquialisms. But I must admit, the book cover is eye grabbing! I think this was a good book over all.
October 30, 2011
While this book had a slow start, I felt that it really picked up about a third of the way through and Nellie became a lot more likeable character towards the end of the story. I loved Nona, although it was sad to see Nellie struggling to realise that her grandmother would soon need more help than she could provide. My aunt was my grandma's carer for many years and it took her a long time to finally decide to put her mother into a nursing home when her Alzheimer's got too much for her to handle. It seems like this is a topic a lot of authors are dealing with right now, as it also popped up in a kids book I read this month, 'Ten Rules for Living with My Sister' by Ann M. Martin. The ending was really touching as well, so although it took me a while to get into this book and I was initially annoyed and perplexed by Nellie's antics, I'd have to say that I did enjoy the book in the end. As the cover says, it's not your grandmother's Amish fiction! I know I'm only 20 but I have to admit, I probably prefer granny-Amish fiction, but this was a fun change. I'd probably give this 7/10.
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